Play Here!
Play “I Spy”.
For example, say, “I spy, with my little eye, something that is
round.”
Then give your child hints to help figure it out. Talk about
how the shapes are the same and different from one another.
Shapes are part of geometry. Also, knowing shapes is the beginning
of letter knowledge. It is not too early to help your child get ready to
learn the alphabet in a fun and playful way.
Write Here!
Let’s count!
How many flowers do you see?
How many tulips?
How many roses?
How many are pink (or whatever color)?
Write the numbers in the air as you say them.
Counting this way is sorting by one characteristic or attribute. This is something that happens in math and science. You
are helping your child get ready for school.
Talk Here!
Who lives where?
Talk about the animals.
Which ones live on a farm?
Which ones live in the zoo?
Why? (Many zoo animals, like elephants, are not
Background knowledge is what children learn
about the world around them by being taught &
through stories and experiences. Children with
strong background knowledge are better able to
understand what they read.
Sing here
Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, (Pretend to stir a bowl of
batter.)
Pop it in the pan. (Hold pan in one hand & pour batter with other.)
Fry a pancake, toss a pancake, (Flip pancake into the
air.)
Catch it if you can! (Catch pancake back in the pan.)
When you sing songs about the order in which things
take place your are helping your child develop the
mathematical concept of sequencing.
Sing Here!
One nifty, two nifty, three nifty nickels,
Four nifty, five nifty, six nifty nickels,
Seven nifty, eight nifty, nine nifty nickels.
Ten NIFTY NICKELS NOW!
Look in your pockets or purse. Count your coins. Talk about what they
are called and how much they are worth. The children are learning
that one object can represent a quantity greater than one.
Talk Here!
What can you think of that comes in pairs?
Two gloves and mittens,
Two eyes on kittens.
Two nostrils...but many hairs!
Children need to know about a lot of things in order to be able to
understand what they read. The more words and ideas you talk
about with them, the more they will know, and the better readers
they will be.
Read Here!
Here are the bus riders, there are five.
Going home, or maybe for a ride.
One rings the bell, leaving four.
Four bus riders standing near the door,
One gets off, now there are three.
Three bus riders standing close to me.
One hops off, then there are two.
Two bus riders, wondering what to do.
One gets off, leaving one alone.
She leaves the bus...everybody’s home!
Help your children
learn about numbers
by counting down,
like with this poem.
Children can understand much more
complicated mathematical ideas than
was once believed.